John Hight, the former senior vice president and general manager of the Warcraft franchise, has been appointed as the president of Wizards of the Coast. Bringing his extensive game development experience and passion for gaming, Hight will oversee the development of Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, as well as manage Hasbro’s gaming studios and digital licensing agreements.
His arrival is anticipated to bring significant changes to Wizards of the Coast, following a series of controversies and challenges faced by the company.
Highlights
- John Hight, former Warcraft GM, now heads Wizards of the Coast, focusing on Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
- Hight brings his game dev experience and passion as a fan to lead Hasbro”s gaming studios and digital licensing agreements.
- Hight”s arrival at Wizards of the Coast may bring significant changes, following a history of controversies at the company.
Former senior vice president and general manager of the Warcraft franchise John Hight is now the president of Wizards of the Coast. This video game industry titan will now join the executive team of Wizards of the Coast, where he will help develop Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, and oversee the video gaming initiatives of Hasbro as a whole.
Recently, Hight announced his departure from Blizzard after an illustrious 12-year career. During his time, Hight worked on nearly a half dozen World of Warcraft expansions, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls, and oversaw development of both Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble. He was known for his optimism and even temper, and was one of the more outspoken voices when it came to rebuilding Blizzard’s reputation after multiple controversies and unpopular design decisions.
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Now, Hight is beginning a new adventure with another major entertainment company. As reported by Business Wire, Hasbro recently announced Hight has joined its executive team as the president of both Wizards of the Coast and of the company”s Digital Gaming branch. In his new position, Hight will take charge of Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering with a focus on finding “new storytelling tabletop and digital experiences.” He will also oversee all of Hasbro’s gaming studios and digital licensing agreements, marking his arrival as “a significant step in Hasbro’s strategic focus on digital experiences and video games.”
Former Warcraft GM John Hight is Now President of WotC
Before coming to Blizzard, Hight was a board member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, taught game development courses at the USC School of Cinematics, and even helped develop AAA games like Neverwinter Nights, God of War 3, and Command and Conquer. He is also a known fan of both Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, making him a natural fit for this position.Close
There is no denying Hight’s arrival at Wizards of the Coast will likely herald some big changes at the company – especially in the video game world. It will not be surprising if Hight uses his game dev experience to follow up on the massive success of Baldur’s Gate 3 with new digital initiatives for Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
Wizards of the Coast itself has been floundering in recent years after a string of its own controversies. Layoffs, rising prices for smaller products, the use of Pinkertons against one of its fans, the Open Gaming License fiasco, and multiple incidents with AI art have earned Wizards of the Coast a great deal of negative publicity lately. Hopefully Hight, who helped Blizzard course correct through its own storm, can help Wizards of the Coast do the same.
Wizards of the Coast
Date Founded
1990-00-00
